Two-Faced Portraits: A Series

My love for art started when I was around 13, we had to submit an art piece using acrylic and canvas. We didn’t even have a formal and proper painting class, that’s why I consider myself a self-taught artist. We had to hung our projects at the walls of our classroom and every time a new teacher came in, they’ll be like “whose piece is this?” and the entire class would point at me. I remember one teacher even told me to continue painting. I didn’t fully commit to it. I was really into writing short stories back then. I was 15 or 16 when I entered college, I was so frustrated because I couldn’t adjust to the environment just yet.

Creating art became my escape to everything.

When I’m nervous and frustrated, I create art.

When I’m feeling down, I create art.

Until I started to look up different tutorials on YouTube for different techniques and media (since I didn’t have art class or whatever in my college). Acrylic and canvasses were too expensive for me. I decided to go with watercolor.

Honestly, there were times that every time I saw someone else’s art work, I told my self, I’m not good enough. My works aren’t good enough. But along the process, I didn’t give up on teaching myself to learn art in different perspective.

I realized that there is no such thing as bad art or ugly art. The appreciation for art is on the eye of the beholder, if they don’t like your work, you shouldn’t bother and wallow yourself in self-pity. There will always be people who will appreciate your piece more than you do.

Until all these self-studying and frustration towards art became my passion. It even became my own form of therapy. It makes me feel genuinely happy when I create art every time I’m thinking of ways how to destroy myself.

Creating art became my creative escape.

Creating art became my way of survival.

Now if you’re still reading up until here, thank you.

I just want to say something:

If you’re starting to have interest in creating art, DO. IT. NOW. Don’t let that fire inside you die. Get up, pick a pen and paper, start.